Classical live musicians and performers reinterpret the work of composer Henry Purcell. Together, they perform the story of Hannibal, the Punic Wars and the birth of Europe. In the third century BC, the Carthaginian army captain Hannibal Barkas embarked on his dizzying journey: he and his troops crossed Spain, France and Italy in a quest to shake the Roman empire to its foundations. Hannibal ad portas! 

The Punic Wars serve as a metaphor for all the wars being fought today in this ever-changing, terrifying world. Hannibal offers a lens through which we explore the confrontation between old and new. Traditional European culture, some say, is under pressure from hyper-diverse Europe. The idea that barbarians are once again at the gates, ready to obliterate European history, however absurd, unfortunately seems to be resurgent. Hannibal therefore, through the unique synergy between opera and slam, contemporary dance and acting, opens a window on Europe’s past, present and future. The makers take as their starting point composer Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas, in which the mythical origins of the conflict between Europe and North Africa are the backdrop.

In Hannibal, artists from Africa and Europe interweave contemporary video and projection techniques with traditional live painting and acoustic instruments. Brought to you by many, from one heartbeat. Grand, generous and groundbreaking.

”Current themes come alive in a surprising and energetic way – in a way you don’t see coming.” – Maartje Klaus, Marketing & Communications Intern

O. Artist Talk
Date: Sunday 25 May
Time: 4 – 4.30 pm
Location: TR25 Schouwburg –  hall theatre
Free entrance
Language: Dutch 

Michael De Cock, artistic director of KVS and one of the directors of Hannibal, talks to Alida Dors, artistic director of Theater Rotterdam. This conversation explores the boundaries and cross-fertilisation between opera and hip-hop, challenging and renewing traditions and the dynamics of cultural innovation in both Rotterdam and Brussels. A conversation about the different approaches and how these cities influence their work.